Like a sister
by ArizunoShojo
Summary: I was never one for creating bonds, me and mother often kept to ourselves seldom letting the common folk enter the forest. Little did i know that i would find a friend in you, perhaps even a sister. Morrigan thinking back on her relationship with the Hero of Ferelden. What the friendship with the young mage meant in the end.


The game Dragon age and all its sequels belongs to Bioware

Please leave a review when you are done. Hope that you will enjoy

* * *

Like a sister

I was never one for creating bonds, me and mother often kept to ourselves seldom letting the common folk enter the forest. I learned from an early age that the world is not kind and neither was man. I did sneak out of the wilds from time to time out of curiosity.

While I was out in the Korcari wilds I ran into an interesting sight. Three men and a female mage walking to the place where the ruins of the tower stood searching in that broken chest for something that was no longer there. The men were of course very much against my presence and two of them cowered like frightened children, the fair headed one was in any way showing his distrust of me keeping his eyes firmly on me waiting for a movement that showed that I meant him harm.

I turned my attention to the young mage with them, she truly stood out amongst the other three. Fair skinned, straight brown hair that barely touched her shoulders and green eyes. She looked back at me and unlike the rest of the fools told her name, she was very civil a rarity for people that one encounters in the wilds. When the blond knight asked for the treaties and called me a thief because I told them they were no longer in the broken chest. She might have been scared but did not show it, she was the only one that though of the priorities, the treaties. She asked me to take them to my mother, the men's distrust for me and mother was apparent but when my mother asked the mage what she believed about them. She simply stated that she didn't know. It humored mother and was not the common answer. After they got their precious treaties I lead them out of the wilds.

Hazel what an unassuming name for a hero, one would think. But then again looks can be deceiving.

I met her again not long after, she had been rescued by my mother, she had many questions about what happened at Ostagar. Once she found out she was one of the two still living Gray Wardens she was upset and worried, they had done their work that night, the tower had been lit. But no army came, the betrayal was hard to stomach but she mostly worried about the knight Alistair, it appeared that someone he held in high regard died on that battlefield. After mother sent us away, without consulting me first I was not very happy.

With time I began to see things about our new leader, she was curious about everything. Having been in that tower for most of her life she haven't experienced a lot and she was like a child discovering the world. She was curious about my life as an apostate, but she never asked questions out of spite, the pure curiosity and wanting to understand was so alien to me. She showed that she had a mind of her own, she wanted to help, I would go so far to call her naïve and new to the world. She wished to solve everything in a diplomatic matter, using once brain and heart instead of sword and shield. I learned that she was not fond of blood spill. The dark spawns however was about to face a mage that wouldn't cower easily, during our time together I grew fond of Hazel, she attracted strange company, no one really knew how to attract people to her. She was a people pleaser and wanted to make it right for everyone. They day we got to Redcliff and encountered the malefica Jowan I finally got to know why Hazel became part of the Grey Wardens. She put herself at risk in order to help him and his beloved to be happy. Such things are foolish but noble, the look of sadness upon the warden's face spoke of all the regrets and sadness she felt for the man behind the iron gate. The blood mage asked for a last chance and she granted him that, a chance for redemption to make things right. Soon after Redcliff, Jowan left eternally grateful for his friend.

The time we all spent on this journey was an adventure in itself. How often did we not get on each other's nerves and at times wished to inflict bodily harm on other members in the party? If not the darkspawns then all our bickering would have turned any sane person mad. Hazel however only found it amusing. She had freedom that many may take for granted, she was learning about life both the pleasures and the hardships. Trying to get to know Shale and Sten was apparently a challenge but it did not stop her from trying to understand them, Leliana would fuss over the maker and cute things that I found little interest in, the nug she kept had little use in battle but she adored the creature so. We all learned early on that Hazel was not a good drinking partner, it didn't take a lot to drink her under the table, the old woman Wynne could hold it better than the 20 year old mage, Oghren and Zevran found it highly amusing of course. Her affection for the slobbering beast named Ursus was not unfounded, if she scratched his belly it would lay by her side, what irritated me was the stench and his refusal to leave our personal items alone, she however did tell him not to bring dead critters into my tent any more. But what was most apparent was what she had with the other Gray Warden. It was so sweet that it was sickening, her and Alistair, he made it clear what she meant to him and she returned that feeling. I have never been one for romance or friendships for that matter but for some reason I wanted her to be happy even if it was the fool Alistair that was the one that made her smile.

My loyalty to her grew with every challenge we concurred and to have someone willing to put their life in danger for my safety showed me that this young woman would go for those she called a friend. It was so odd and scary but I would always treasure her friendship.

With the battle drawing nearer the stakes got higher and higher, she began to tire of all the death and all the hard decisions. But she kept going even in moments of doubt.

I know it would hurt her. I would do it with the man she loved dearly, the ritual would cause a child to be made and that child would have the untainted soul of the Old God once the dragon was killed.

The only reason Alistair agreed to do it was because he did not wish to loose her. With him soon to become king the one that would have to die would be Hazel. She would do what was best for all even if death scared her.

I was there during the final battle and with the archdemon slained, then I did just as I promised and left after the battle was done.

Now 10 years later I watch as a new mage is trying to save the world form the demons, Inquisitor Trevelyan was still young and learning how to lead just like Hazel had do years ago. Maker has a sense of humor. The Champion of Kirkwall and Hazel's cousin was a mage herself. They shared little in common when it came to appearance, but the well-spoken and was just as diplomatic like her younger cousin, Hazel's other cousin Carver was a Templar and was the contrast to Hawke's idea to free the mages. Even after all of Hazel's work the peace did not last long, the dispute between races, status and cultures became apparent after the mage uprising.

Now my dear friend was out there searching for a cure, hoping to cure the taint that rested in every Gray Warden and hope of giving them a longer life. Kieran has a lot to learn still but if he becomes anything like Hazel I would have nothing against it. She was like an aunt to him, there may not be a drop of blood between me and her, but she is like a sister to me. That journey, I will always cherish those memories.


End file.
